Switch



March 27. 1928.

1,663,779 E. M. SORENG SWITCH Filed Oct. 2, 1920 s Sheets-heet 1WITNESSES March 27, 1928. 1,663,779 E. M. SORENG SWITCH Filed 00+. 2,1920 a Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES.

OIQNEY 1,663,779 E. M. SORENG SWITCH Filed Oct. 2, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3March 27 1928.

WITNESSES 6 7% 6% x4 I Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,663,779 PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR M. SORENG, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO BRIGGS & STRATTON CORPORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

SWITCH.

Application filed October 2, 1920. Serial No. 414,207.

This invention relates to switches for controlling electrical circuitsand while particularly designed for use on automobiles for controllingthe lighting and ignition circuits thereof it is capable of other uses.

The object of the invention is to provide a switch of this character inwhich contact springs are eliminated and spring-pressed rigid contactmembers are substituted therefor. Another object of the invention is toprovide an all metal path for the contact members so as to avoid theirscraping on insulating material that is liable to impair the contactmade thereby. Another object of the invention is to avoid the formationof detents or clicks between the operative positions of the switchmembers that are liable to deceive the operator.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction andreduce the cost of manufacture of switches of this character andparticularly switches of the lock type.

\Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in theswitch as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters ofreference indicate the same parts in different views:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear view with theterminal head removed;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical sectional view of the switch;

Fig. 5 is a view of the inner face of the terminal head;

Fig. 6 is a rear viewof the terminal head and contact members removed;

Fig. 7 is a similar view with the switch case and lighting switch.drii'er removed;

Fi 8 is a front view with the switch lever removed and the lockingsleeve sectioned;

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the connecting plate of the lighting switchdisc, said lighting switch disc being sectioned at its cylindricalportion;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional v1ew ofthe switch;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the front plate with the locking sleeveattached; and,

Fig. 12 is a rear View of the lighting switch lever.

In these drawings 15 indicates a front plate which may constitute apanel as shown for mounting on the dash or instrument board of anautomobile. A lighting switch lever 16 is so mounted on the front plate15 as to be capable of an oscillatory movement to bring its indexprojection 17 into register with marks on the front plate indicating theconditions established by the lighting switch controlled thereby.

A cylindrical lock barrel 18 passes through the lighting switch lever 16and is adapted to receive a key 19v for withdrawing its lock tumblersand for turning it to operate an ignition switch.

On the back of the front plate is a cupshaped sheet metal switch case 20with its inturned flange riveted ,to the front plate. The edge of theswitch case 20' is turned outwardly to form a seat or bearing for aninsulating disc or terminal head 21 except at certain points wherepositioning lugs 22 pro ject therefrom and fit in notches 23 in the edgeof the terminal head to determine its position.

The inturned flange of the switch case 20 between its rivet connectionswith the front plate is embossed or pressed up to form nut pockets 24between the flange and the front plate. Lugs 25 are cut from theembossed portions of the switch case flange and are capable of beingbent from the osition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to tie positionshown in full lines and permit of the insertion of nuts 26 and theretention of said nuts in the pockets where they are confined andprevented from turning. Screws 27 passing through the terminal head 21and entering the nuts 26 serve to secure the terminal head in place.

On the circular base of the lighting switch lever 16 are projecting lugs28 which ride in arc-shaped slots 29 of the front plate, as best seen inFig. 7. A cup-shaped sheet metal lighting switch driver30 bears againstthe back of the front plate and is connected to the lighting switchlever 16 by means of screws 31 threaded in said lugs 28, as best seen inFig. 10, so as to turn with the handie. The lock barrel 18 passesthrough a central opening of the lighting switch driver 30 and forms thebearing for a. sheet metal disc 32 which will be referred to as aconnector disc since it serves to connect the lighting switch driver 30with the lighting iii 'switch switch disc to be later described. Thedriving connection between the lighting switch driver 30 and theconnecting disc 32 is formed by fingers 33 projecting from the edge ofthe former and entering notches in the edge of the latter. Some of thefingers 33, preferably two that are diametrically opposite as shown inFig. 6, are provided with Tshaped ends 34 which are bentoutwardly untilthe parts are assembled and are then bent to a position in which theywill engage the connecting disc and prevent its withdrawal from thelocking barrel 18 even .though it is under the pressure of a coil spring(57 surrounding the locking barrel and hearing at one end against thelighting driver 30 and at the other end against a. fibre washer 35placed against the connector disc 32.

An insulating washer 36 is connected to the back of connector disc bymeans of rivets 37 and a sheet metal contact disc 38 is riveted to theinsulating washer 36 in such a manner as to avoid electrical connectionwith the connector disc 32.

The lighting contact disc 38 is "formed with a cylindrical portionbetween its contact rim and its connecting flange so as to place thecontact rim in a plane distant from the connector disc. The contactflange of the lighting contact disc 38 is provided with depressions 39to fit over the rounded heads of contact studs 40 formed by rivetspassing through the terminal head and serving to attach binding poststhereto. In certain places the contact rim is provided with openings 66instead of the usual depressions 39 to clear the contact studs and avoidcontact with them and the edges of these openings are depressed orrounded to freely ride over the rounded heads of the contact studs so asnot to obstruct the turning movement of the lighting switch.

The binding posts are formed of strips of sheet metal bent to form a nuthousing between them and riveted to the terminal head by means of theterminal studs 40 as mentioned. As shown each binding post consistsof apair of angularly bent strips 41 and 42, the right angular bend thereofplacing them in parallel planes at right angles to the terminal head.The three edges of strip 41 are bent toward strip 42 to form a box likehousing enclosing an ordinary nut 43. Both strips have register ingopenings through which a screw 44 is passed and threaded through the nutand the end of the strip 42 is provided with ears projecting outwardlyon either side of the head of screw 44 to form a guide and guard for theterminal of a connecting wire, not shown, and aid the head of the screw44 in clamping it in place in the well known manner. To key the bindingposts in position and prevent them from turning on the contact rivetsthe end of strip 41 is provid ed with a narrow tongue 46 bent over theend of strip 42 and entering the terminal head 21.

As show in Figs. 4, 10 and 11, the edge of the front plate 15 around theopening throughwhich the lock barrel 18 passes is bent upwardly andinwardly to form an annular. groove between it and the edge of thelighting switch driver 30 and in this groove is confined a flange 47projecting from the lock barrel and extending approximately half waytherearound. A stop lug 48 projects from the edge of the opening of thefront plate into the unoccupied portion of the groove to be engaged bythe ends of the flange and so limit the turning movements of the lockbarrel and determine the two extreme positions thereof in which the key49 is slit radially to form projections which alternately engage aboveand below the bent edge of the opening of the front plate and areembedded therein by pressure so as to securely hold the lock sleeve inplace against rotation.

A thrust washer 50, split to acconunodate stop lug 48, is positionedbetween the flange 47 and the spliced connection between lock sleeve 49and front plate 15 and prevents the engagement, of the ends of saidflange with any projections on this connection so that the lock barrelmay be freely turned by means of the key.

The lock barrel 18, as seen in Fig. 10. provided with a number oftumbler slides 51 slidable transversely therethrough and aligned withthe surface of the lock barrel by the serrated edges of the key when thelatter is properly inserted but adapted to project into rectangularopenings in opposite sides of the lock sleeve 49 when the key iswithdrawn. Thus the removal of the key not only deprives the ignitionswitch of its operating handle, but the lock barrel, by means of whichthe ignition switch operated, is positively locked against movement bythe engagement of the tumblers 5i with the lock sleeve.

The end of the lock barrel 18 has a central bore or recess to receive acoilspring 53 and this end is also provided with a transverse slotleaving a pair of projections 54 on the sides thereof which fit withinsimilarly shaped openings in an insulating disc contained within thecavity or cup-shaped cylindrical'portion of the lighting contact disc38. The insulating disc 55 is free to slide on the projections 54 of thelock barrel and has the spring 53 bearing thereon to pressit outwardlytoward the terminal head. A contact strap 56 extends diametricallyacross the 'face of the insulating disc and between the projections 54,though spaced far enough therefrom to avoid contact with them, and isheld in place by having its ends bent into notches in the edge of theinsulating disc, as seen in Fig. 10. Near one end the contact strap 56is provided with a rounded projection 57 which in its arc of movementbears on a contact sector 58 secured to the terminal head by havingtangs 59 projecting through the terminal head and bent over thereon. Oneof the tangs of the contact sector is pro vided with a binding post 60riveted through it to make electrical connection therewith. There arerounded depressions 61 in the face of the contactsector. in which therounded projection 57 fits in the three operative positions of theignition switch to form a click or detent. The other end of the contactstrap 56 is adapted to sweep over a series of contacts 62, 63 and 64:with intermediate spacers 65. The contacts consist of rivets connectedrespectively to binding posts marked on the back of the terminal head toindicate battery, ground and magneto. The spacers 65 consist of metalstaples with their ends embedded in the terminal head and serve tocomplete a metallic path for the contact stra and avoid the formation ofa detent or click between its operative positions.

In operation the turning of the lighting switch lever 16, which in thepresent instance is not restrained by the lock mechanism, serves to turnthe li hting switch driver 30 and thereby drive the spring-pressedcontact disc 38 so as to bring the openings 66 thereof into registerwith the different contact studs 40 and so change the circuitconnect-ions of the lighting circuitto effect the usual changes inlighting conditions. The turning of the ignition switch by means of thekey turns the contact strap so that it connects the contact sector 58with one of the three contact points so as to ground the ignition coilin the intermediate position, and connect it with the battery in oneextreme position and with the magneto in the other extreme position.Neither of the switch members comes in contact with the insulatingmaterial of the terminal head so there is no danger of becoming fouledby scraping such material, but on the other hand the constant rubbing onmetal surface tends to keep their contact faces bright. The contact disc38 is in contact with three of the contact studs in any of its operativepositions and its spring is therefore capable of pressing it into firmcontact at all of its contact points. The coil spring as a means forholding the contacts together gives a wide range of movement whichcompensates for variations. The construct-ion of the terminal head issuch that it may be made of a thin piece of fibre. The entire switchstructure is of simple and inexpensive construe-- tion easily assembled.I I

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch a series of unyielding raised contact studs arranged inclrcular forma tion, a spring pressed rotatably mounted rigid contactdisc bearing on the contact studs and provided with depressions to fitthereon in its different positions causing the contact disk to yieldbodily against its spring pressure in order to move from one position toanother, there being openings through the disc in place of certaindepressions whereby contact studs are out of contact with the contactdisc-in certain positions thereof.

2. In a switch a series of contacts, a sheet metal contact discrotatably mounted to ride thereon, said contact disc being dished toform a central cavity or depression, a ret-a-tably mounted insulatingdisc within the central cavity or depression of the contact disc, and aswitch member on the insulating disk engaging certain of the contacts.

3. In a switch an insulating terminal head, a sheet metal contact sectorhaving depressions and having ears bent through the terminal head, aseries of contact studs arranged opposite thereto and concentrictherewith. and a rotatably mounted contact member bearing at its ends onthe contact sector and contact studs respectively in its operativepositions and provided with a projection to fit the depressions of thecontact sector in said operative positions.

4. In a switch an insulating terminal head, a sheet metal contact sectormounted thereon, a series of contact studs arranged opposite thereto andconcentric therewith, metal spacers positioned between the contactstuds, and a rotatably mounted contact strip bearing at its ends on thecontact sector and contact studs in its operative positions andtraveling from one contact stud to the next over the metal spacerbetween them so as to have an all metal path of travel.

In a switch, a rotary shaft member, a rotatably mounted wring-pressedsheet metal dished contact disk surrounding the shaft and insulatedtherefrom, av springpresscd insulating disk carried by the shaft andlocated within the dished portion of the contact disk, a contact memberthereon. contact-s engaged by the contact member and the contact disk,and separate means for turning the shaft and the contact disk.

(3. In a switch a front plate, a switch lever on one face thereof and a.cup-shaped driver on the other face thereof, means pass ing through thefront plate for connecting them, ashaft passing through the switch leverand the front plate and the driver, a contact member rotatably mountedon the shaft and connected with the driver, a second contact membercarried by the shaft, and contacts engaged by the cont-act mem bers.

7. In a switch a front plate, a switch lever on one face thereof and acup-shaped driver on the other face thereof, means passing through thefront plate for connecting them, a shaft passing through the switchlever and the front plate and the driver, a sheet metal contact discrotatably mounted on the shaft and insulated therefrom, said contactdisc being dished to form a central cavity and having connection withthe driver, an insulating disc within the central cavity of the contactdisc and keyed on the shaft, a contact member carried by the insulatingdisc, and contacts engaged by the contact disc and contact member.

8. In a switch. a front plate, a switch lever on one face thereof and acup-shaped driver on the other face thereof, means passing through thefront plate for connecting them, a. shaft passing through the switchlever and the front plate and the driver, a flange on the shaft fittingbetween the edge of the front plate and the edge of the driver, a stoplug on the front plate engaging the flange to limit the movements of theshaft, a dished contact disc, a. fibre disc secured thereto, aconnecting disc mounted on the fibre disc and having notches in itsedge, fingers extending from the edge of the driver andengagingthe'notches in the edge of the connecting disc, an insulating discwithin the recess of the contact disc, projections onv the shaftentering openings of the insulating disc, a spring surrounding the shaftfor moving the contact disc. a spring within the shaft for moving theinsulating disc, a switch member carried by the insulating disc, andcontacts engaged by the switch member and the contact disc.

9. In a switch a front plate, a cup-shaped switch case secured theretoand having in dentations forming nut pockets between it and the frontplate, nuts contained within the nut pockets, tongues bent up from thenut pockets to confine the nuts therein, a ter .iinal head fitting onthe end of the switch case, and screws passing through the terminal.head. and threaded in the nuts.

10. A binding post consisting of a pair of sheet metal angular strips,the end of one secured on. the end of the other and to support, theother ends of said strips being spaced apart, a nut positioned. betweenthem, flanges on one strip bent toward the other strip to confine thenut, and screws passing through openings in the strips and threaded inthe nut.

ees 2'29 11. In a switch a terminal head, a rivetpassing therethrough toconstitute a contact stud, a pair of angular sheet metal strips with theend of one secured on the end of the other and to the back of theterminal head by means of said rivet, the other ends of said stripsbeing spaced apart, a nut positioned between them, flanges on one stripextending toward the other strip to confine the nut, and a screw passingthrough openings in the strips and threaded int-he nut.

12. In a switch, a switch handle, a movably mounted rigid switch memberhaving a driving connection with the handle, a series of contacts uponwhich the switch member bears throughout its movements so as not toengage insulation between them, said switch member being shaped to avoidcon tact with some ofthe contacts in certain positions thereof, and aspring between the handle and the switch member for holding the switchmember in engagement with the contacts.

13. In a switch, a switch-case, a frontplate secured to the end thereofand provided with an opening, and a cylindrical lock sleeve with anoutwardly extending flange at its end split to form tongues engagingalternately above and below the edge of the opening,v of thefront-plate, said tongues being embedded in the edge ofthe opening ofthe front-plate to securely hold the lock sleeve in place againstrotation.

14:. In a switch, a switch-case, a frontplate secured to the end of theswitch-case and provided with an opening in a raised central portionthereof, a lock sleeve having an outwardly extending flange at its endsplit to form tongues engaging above and belowthe edge of the opening,and a lock barrel tting in the loclr sleeve and provided with a flangeconfined in the space between the raised portion of the front-plate andthe end of the switclrcase.

15. In a switch, a switch-case, a frontplate secured to the end. of theswitch-case and provided with a central raised portion having anopening, a cylindrical lock sleeve with an outwardly extending flange onits end split to form tongues engaging above and below the edge of theopening, a lock barrel contained in the lock sleeve and provided with aflange confined in the space between the raised portion of thefront-plate and the end of the switch-case, and a stop lug in said spaceengaged by the flange for limiting the movements of the lock barrel.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

EDGAR M. SORENG.

